If you plan on spending some time in Germany, it might be worth considering to learn German beforehand.
While it is possible to study international degree programs in Germany without prior knowledge of the German language, there are some very good reasons for learning German. Just consider some of the following:
German is not only spoken in Germany, but also in Austria and Switzerland; it is also a minority language in some neighbouring countries. In fact, among Europeans the approximately 100 million native speakers of German greatly outnumber those of English, French, Italian or Spanish.
In business, diplomacy and tourism, German stands second only to English in Western Europe, in Eastern Europe it holds first place in several countries.
The easiest way to learn the German language is, of course, by being in Germany. You could for instance attend one of the international summer or winter courses available at universities in Germany. These courses are designed in such a manner that people of the same age group have a chance to learn German and such provide a fantastic chance to explore Germany and its neighbouring countries.
But there are also other options available: The Goethe-Institutes in Germany as well as abroad offer language instruction at all levels. They also conduct preparatory courses for higher level examinations. To help you decide how best you can learn German, we present hereafter some of the options you have.
Learning German in Australia
The Goethe-Institutes in Sydney and Melbourne offer both general language courses and special courses.
In their language courses you will learn the standard German spoken in Germany today. You can set your own pace and decide whether to learn on an intensive basis or spread your learning over a longer period.
You also can prepare to take one of the Goethe-Institut's examinations, which are recognised world-wide, including the TestDaF examination which will open up the world of German universities to you.
Their Language Course Office will be glad to help you book a course in Sydney or in Germany or sign up for one of their examinations. For further information feel free to contact
the Goethe-Institut in Sydney at
learngerman@sydney.goethe.org or
by phone: (02) 8356 8366
There are also 15 universities throughout Australia offering German language courses; some universities also offer Business German, German Culture and German Literature. Find out more about German departments at Australian universities!
Another useful resource for learning German is the AusDaF network in Australia, the network of Aussie teachers of German:
http://www.ausdaf.edu.au/
Learning German in Germany
The Goethe-Institut also offers language courses and examinations for German as a foreign language at 16 institutes in Germany.
Other institutions offering language course in Germany include the deutsch-institut (did) - with 30 years of experience behind it, is regarded as a top-class institute offering private language programs. If you are looking for a more quiet place beyond the main cities you might fall in love with Lindau, an island town in Lake Constance with its language school dialoge. Universities, too, offer a varied and valuable range of summer language courses.
Check out the database for these international summer courses!
DUO offers German courses for academic, scientific and professional purposes. This program was developed at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich in cooperation with the Universität des Saarlands. The target group consists of students and scientists/researchers who wish to prepare for a course or research project in Germany or wanting to foster their understanding of German during a course- or project-related stay.
You will find further information on learning German on the DAAD website.
These pages provide all the answers to your questions on how best to learn German. You will find information on aspects like language schools, online learning methods, materials and a compilation of all recognised German language tests and certificates.
